The Way to Game the Walk of Shame(62)

“Sorry.” Her face was squished in her arms.

I squatted down next to her, but she turned her head and just snuggled deeper in her sleeve. I let out a deep breath and remembered Aaron’s words. Just talk. “Are you still mad about the Lauren thing? I wasn’t going to meet her. I swear.”

“I know you weren’t.”

“Then what’s the matter?” When she didn’t answer, I poked at her shoulder until she finally looked up at me.

There was a small smile on her face like she was trying to look happy and normal. But I could tell that something was wrong. Her eyes were red and a bit swollen. And even now, her lashes were slightly damp with tears.

I sucked in a deep breath and my fists clenched together. “What’s wrong? Did something happen? Did someone say anything or—”

Taylor grabbed my arm before I could jump up and beat up everyone in sight. “No, it’s just … it’s nothing.”

“Doesn’t look like nothing.” I wiped away a remaining tear clinging to her cheek. “So, do you want to talk about it?”

“No.”

There goes Aaron and his stupid plan. Try. Just keep trying. I sank down next to her, but she avoided my gaze. Her fingers just plucked at the blades of grass next to us and placed them in a neat pile, crisscrossed in a pattern.

“Can I ask you something?”

She let out a sigh. “I thought you understood that I didn’t want to talk?”

“Just one question, I swear.” I coughed into my fist a few times. “You’re not crying because of me, right?

Her hand knocked against the grass pile, knocking it over. “Don’t flatter yourself. I’m not crying. My allergies are just going crazy right now.”

“Okay, allergies.” I didn’t believe her lie for a second, but if she didn’t want to tell me, then I wasn’t going to push her. And if she was going to blame it on her allergies, then I was going to let her. I climbed to my feet and nudged her elbow with the tip of my toe. “I’ll take you home.”

“I don’t really want to go home right now.”

“But what about your dad?”

Taylor gnawed on her lower lip and looked down. “They’re not expecting me home anytime soon. I’m supposed to be helping Brian with some newspaper stuff. But he—he doesn’t need me today.”

There was something weird about her voice. But I was just glad that we could spend more time together. I reached out and took her hand, lacing my fingers through hers. “I know the perfect place to go where your allergies won’t bother you anymore.”

*

“So where’s this mysterious place you’re taking me?” Taylor asked after we got our hot dogs. She trailed a few steps behind me as we crossed the street, still licking the chili off her fingers.

“God, are you still hungry? I should have let you eat mine, too.”

“Like I would have had a chance to. You inhaled yours before I even put on the mustard. Did you even chew it?”

“Nah, I have a pretty big mouth.” I walked backward so I could watch her, hands shoved in my pockets.

“I noticed.”

“Are you done? Can I hold your hand now?”

She pulled a small bottle of antibacterial gel out of her purse and squirted a glop on her hands. “Why? No one’s here.”

I waited until she finished before grabbing her. “Call it a habit. Besides, I don’t want you to get lost.”

“Well, I wouldn’t get lost if you would only tell me where we’re—oh!” Taylor skidded to a stop by my side. “We’re going to the aquarium?”

A feeling of contentment filled me as I looked up at the large white-and-blue building. This place was like home to me. When I was little, I wanted to move into the janitor’s utility closet. Even tried to pay him rent. “Yep. Come on.”

We walked through the various rooms, and she cooed over the otters—especially Rachel, Shayda, Elana, and Lily, the four show-offs in front—and skidded away from the eels. She leaned in so close over the petting tank to touch the stingrays that I had to hold onto the back of her shirt to make sure she didn’t fall in.

I’d always loved being there, but it was a different experience with Taylor. She hadn’t been here in years, so she had the enthusiasm of an eight-year-old.

Finally we reached my favorite room of all. The Seas Room. It was a large room with benches on descending stairs like at a theater, and the stage was the largest exhibit in the aquarium. The entire wall was a glass tank that measured twenty-five-feet deep and held 600,000 gallons of water. And it was filled with various colorful schools of fish, sharks, sea turtles, and stingrays just swimming back and forth.

Since it was nearly dinnertime, the room was empty, except for one couple and their little kid walking back and forth. They were more entertained by their kid than by the amazing ocean life in front of them. The little girl was pretty cute, though. Her red hair bounced on her shoulders as she danced in circles to her mom’s singing.

Taylor’s eyes widened, and she stepped right up to the tank. Her hands reached out to touch the glass. “It’s beautiful here. And those turtles are huge!”

“There used to be an even bigger one. Nearly twice as big as these babies, but poor Rudy died two years ago.”